BILL NUMBER: SCR 59	CHAPTERED  02/09/00

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER   17
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   FEBRUARY 9, 2000
	ADOPTED IN SENATE   FEBRUARY 3, 2000
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY   JANUARY 31, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   JANUARY 31, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Senators Burton, Alpert, Chesbro, Escutia, Hughes,
Perata, Polanco, Solis, and Vasconcellos
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alquist, Baugh, Davis, Hertzberg,
Kuehl, Lowenthal, Steinberg, Thomson, Villaraigosa, Aanestad,
Ackerman, Aroner, Ashburn, Bates, Battin, Bock, Brewer, Calderon,
Campbell, Cardoza, Cedillo, Corbett, Correa, Cox, Cunneen, Dickerson,
Ducheny, Dutra, Firebaugh, Florez, Floyd, Frusetta, Gallegos,
Granlund, Havice, Honda, House, Jackson, Kaloogian, Keeley, Knox,
Leach, Lempert, Leonard, Longville, Machado, Maddox, Maldonado,
Margett, Mazzoni, McClintock, Nakano, Olberg, Oller, Robert Pacheco,
Rod Pacheco, Papan, Pescetti, Reyes, Romero, Runner, Scott, Shelley,
Soto, Strickland, Strom-Martin, Thompson, Torlakson, Vincent, Wayne,
Wesson, Wiggins, Wildman, and Zettel)

                        JANUARY 24, 2000

   Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 59--Relative to mental health
reform.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SCR 59, Burton.  Mental health reform.
   This measure would establish, until November 30, 2000, the Joint
Committee on Mental Health Reform, for the purpose of identifying
promising strategies and policy recommendations relating to mental
health treatment.  The measure would provide membership and funding
specifications for the committee.  The measure would require the
committee to submit a report to the Legislature by May 1, 2000, on
the committee's activities and recommendations.




   WHEREAS, The Surgeon General reports that mental illness refers
collectively to all diagnosable mental disorders; and
   WHEREAS, The Surgeon General reports that one out of five
Americans experiences a mental illness any given year, and half of
all Americans have these illnesses at some time in their lives, but
nearly two-thirds of them never obtain treatment; and
   WHEREAS, The Surgeon General reports that mental illness occurs in
families of all social classes and backgrounds; and
   WHEREAS, The Surgeon General reports that anxiety, depression, and
schizophrenia, particularly, contribute to the high rates of suicide
among the mentally ill adult population; and
   WHEREAS, The lack of adequate treatment and services for persons
with mental illnesses has contributed significantly to homelessness,
involvement with the criminal justice system, and other significant
social and health problems experienced by individuals with mental
illness and their families; and
   WHEREAS, The failure to provide adequate services and supports for
persons with mental illnesses has resulted in significantly
increased expenditures for state and local governments, as well as
higher costs for businesses, communities, and families; and
   WHEREAS, There are 50,000 homeless, severely mentally ill
Californians, including 10,000 to 20,000 homeless, mentally ill
veterans; and
   WHEREAS, Approximately 505,000 Californians are currently enrolled
in state and community mental health programs, and
   WHEREAS, The last decade has seen significant changes in the way
local mental health services are financed and delivered; and
   WHEREAS, Realignment of state mental health funding to the
counties has limited state oversight of the quality of local mental
health services; and
   WHEREAS, Reimbursement rates and oversight among responsible
agencies should be reviewed to ensure quality of care, particularly
in group homes that primarily house severely mentally ill persons;
and
   WHEREAS, The effectiveness of the 1967 Lanterman-Petris-Short Act
regarding involuntary commitment of the severely mentally ill should
be reviewed; and
   WHEREAS, Crimes against disabled and mentally ill children and
adults are believed by the State Department of Mental Health to be
from four to ten times higher than against persons who are not
disabled or mentally ill, and reported at a lower rate than in the
general population; and
   WHEREAS, Mentally ill children and adults must seek services and
support from many different state and county agencies, particularly
agencies providing mental health treatment, employment, housing,
public welfare, health care, substance abuse treatment, and law
enforcement; and
   WHEREAS, Ten to fifteen percent of the offenders in youth and
adult correctional facilities suffer from severe mental illness, many
of whom may have previously sought treatment that was not accessible
in their community; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Joint Committee on Mental Health Reform
is hereby established and authorized for the purpose of identifying
promising strategies and policy recommendations that will do any of
the following:
   (a) Improve the quality of life for mentally ill children and
adults and their families.
   (b) Provide coordinated, culturally sensitive, and cost-effective
treatment, rehabilitation, housing, and financial services to this
population, as well as expanded treatment participation by clients.
   (c) Enhance the quality and accountability of existing programs
designed to serve persons with mental illnesses regardless of income
or housing status; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Mental Health Reform shall
consist of five members of the Senate appointed by the President pro
Tempore and five members of the Assembly appointed by the Speaker;
and be it further
   Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Mental Health Reform and its
members shall have and exercise all of the rights, duties, and
powers conferred upon investigating committees and their members by
the provisions of the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly as they
are adopted and amended from time to time; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Mental Health Reform may
contract, subject to the approval of the Senate Committee on Rules
and the Assembly Committee on Rules, with other agencies, public or
private, as necessary to obtain services or studies that will assist
the committee in carrying out its responsibilities; and be it further

   Resolved, That the Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of
the Assembly shall each name one co-chair of the Joint Committee on
Mental Health Reform; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Senate Committee on Rules and the Assembly
Committee on Rules shall each make available from the Senate
Operating Fund and the Assembly Operating Fund an equal amount of
money together sufficient as deemed necessary for the expenses of the
Joint Committee on Mental Health Reform and its members, and that
any expenditure of money shall be made in compliance with policies
set forth by the Senate Committee on Rules and the Assembly Committee
on Rules and subject to approval by the appropriate Rules committee;
and be it further
   Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Mental Health Reform shall,
within 15 days of authorization, and consistent with the normal
annual appropriations process for funding legislative committees,
present its initial budget to the Senate Committee on Rules and to
the Assembly Committee on Rules for their review, comment, and
approval; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Mental Health Reform shall
submit a report to the Legislature by May 1, 2000, on its activities
and recommendations; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Mental Health Reform is
authorized to act until November 30, 2000, at which time the
committee's existence shall terminate.
